Hardware Podcasts

UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.

How I Built This · 1 Jun 2026 · 1h 28m

What this episode covers

Brian Smith, founder of UGG, explains how he imported Australian sheepskin boots to the U.S. in 1979, initially struggling with zero sales from surf shops before pivoting to marketing to real surfers like Mike Parsons and Ted Robinson. He details the financial chaos of his early years, including losing control of the company to investors like Neil Fearing and Chuck Kaiser, and the 10-year trademark battle with the Oregon-based UGHS company. Smith describes key decisions such as the 'Six-Pair Stocking Plan' and a controversial ad buy on Rush Limbaugh, before selling UGG to Deckers in 1995 for approximately $15 million.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Deckers, Country Leather, UGHS, LA Gear
Products
UGG, Teva, Hoka
Also
Pamela Anderson, Rush Limbaugh, Oprah, Tom Brady, Jimmy Choo

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